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How to Remove Pimple Marks

How to Remove Pimple Marks

Overview

Pimples, which are bumps, blemishes or lesions on your skin, can wreak havoc on your entire face. When acne finally heals, however, the trouble isn't over. Acne can cause red or brown marks, or divots on your skin that may last for years, or even for the rest of your life. There are a variety of treatments available, both home remedies and treatments administered by a doctor, that can help fade acne marks and make old breakouts a distant memory.

Step 1

Exfoliate your skin. Sloughing away the dead skin cells on your face can help speed up the healing process of your pimple marks and make your skin appear smoother. You can purchase an oil-free exfoliating cleanser at a drugstore or grocery store.

Step 2

Wait it out. Some surface red marks will go away eventually, according to Dr. Larissa Hirsch, MD of KidsHealth.org. Although some red marks may take up to a year to fade, they can become almost invisible with time.

Step 3

Get collagen injections administered by your doctor. Your doctor can inject collagen or another filler into your skin to help raise pockmarks or divots in the skin. This procedure may require several treatments, and will make your skin appear smoother and more even.

Step 4

Consult your doctor about dermabrasion or microdermabrasion. Dermabrasion is a procedure that brushes a tool with a rough surface across your skin, removing the top layer of skin. Microdermabrasion is a less drastic version of dermabrasion, that does not entirely remove the top layer of skin. Both procedures require healing time to allow for skin regrowth. As the skin grows back, your complexion will be smoother and more even.

Step 5

Get laser treatments. Ablative laser treatment burns away the scar tissue on the skin, allowing new skin cells to fill in the burned away areas. Ablative laser treatments require a healing time of up to a week. Non-ablative laser treatments heat collagen in the skin to help tighten the dermal layers and make scarring less noticeable. Non-ablative laser treatments, as opposed to ablative laser treatments, require almost no recovery time.

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